This invention relates, in part, to a 42 volt based coil-per-plug ignition system as is disclosed in my U.S. Pat. No. 6,142,130, referred to henceforth as '130, to improve and simplify its operation and versatility, including improving and simplifying its electronic controls by use of an MCU, raising the energy density of its open-E type coils through the use of biasing magnets, improving the housing design of the coils to eliminate cracking due to thermal stresses, eliminating the need for a variable control (saturable) inductor to limit the secondary voltage upon switch closure, and other related improvements. The invention also relates, in part, to improving the electromagnetic interference and end-effect aspects of the ignition system disclosed in my U.S. Pat. No. 6,545,415, referred to henceforth as '415. Other aspects of the invention include improving the design of capacitive type spark plugs capable of handling the higher spark currents with reduced erosion, and improved low resistance suppression spark plug wire. In a preferred application, the ignition is used with a 2-valve, 2-spark plug per cylinder engine with squish flow, disclosed in my U.S. Pat. No. 6,267,107 B 1, referred to hence forth as '107, and improvements of it filed in a patent application with the same filing date as the present one. The disclosures of the above referenced provisional patent applications, and the '130, '415, '107 patents cited above, as well as those cited below, are incorporated herein as though set out at length herein.